Neil Davey, 51, allegedly 'paid or otherwise instructed' friend and tree surgeon Thomas McGuire to sneak into the garden at night and chop down the maritime pine.

The 40ft pine had stood for 55 years, was covered by a tree preservation order and stood on a hillside overlooking picturesque Poole Harbour, Dorset.

The householder said he was woken by the sound of the loud revving of a chainsaw followed by a crash that 'shook' his house as the tree was felled.

The local council carried out an investigation and discovered the tree would have blocked the sea views from Mr Davey's hot tub and sun terrace, the court heard.

Andrew Dearing, a planning enforcement officer at Poole council, said he followed a trail of flattened grass from the tree stump to the Davey's back garden nearby.
He said: "I saw the recently erected sun lounger and hot tub and saw where the tree had stood.

"The two sun loungers seemed relatively new.

"I thought 'here's a family who clearly enjoys sitting on their patio looking at the extensive views.

"I realised the owners had perfect views which were obstructed by the tree in question."

He told the jury that Davey's garden boasted views of Poole Harbour, the Isle of Purbeck, and Corfe Castle once the tree had been removed.

The court heard Mcguire, 34, had recently carried out work on the Davey's garden of their £550,000 home in Inverclyde Road, Lower Parkstone, Poole.

Davey, who owns an auctioneers based in Poole, was on honeymoon with new wife Sheena in France at the time of the tree felling in June 2010.

But he is accused of arranging for the pine tree to be removed in his absence.

Stephen Bransgrove, 53, lived at the property in question and told the court how he was woken in the night by the revving.

He said: "It was the sort of noise if something had hit the house, it was a loud bang.